


The most important person in the galaxy

by LittleTurtle95



Series: This is how liberty rises, with thunderous applause [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, General Husbands, Getting Together, Leia Organa (mentioned) - Freeform, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Finn (Star Wars), Oblivious Poe Dameron, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Revelations, Rey (mentioned) - Freeform, Sad Poe Dameron, Spoilers, Temmin "Snap" Wexley (mentioned) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21900223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTurtle95/pseuds/LittleTurtle95
Summary: "That day a woman asked himHow does it feel to be the most important person in the galaxy?He didn’t feel like he was the most important person in the galaxy at all. Yes, he was in charge at the moment, but it was all going to end soon [...]The galaxy was owned by the people who lived in it. Every one of them. And he was looking at it, the stars looking back down, and he felt grateful for a moment.Almost.More than everything he felt alone"Or that one time Poe is alone with his thoughts and his favourite co general comes to the rescue
Relationships: Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Poe Dameron & Leia Organa, Poe Dameron & Temmin "Snap" Wexley, Poe Dameron/Finn
Series: This is how liberty rises, with thunderous applause [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577593
Comments: 22
Kudos: 165





	The most important person in the galaxy

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry people I wanted to do something to deal with the mess the new movie left us with. This is going to be part of a series, hope you're going to enjoy!

The day was the longest they’ve had in a while. It was right past dawn when Poe asked Finn to join him as a general of the Resistance, and barely one hour after they got Exogol’s position from Rey.

In two other hours the two generals set up a plan, had their speech in front of the troops, and left.

The trip to and from Exogol plus the battle lasted a bit more than six hours and then there was the cheering, the mourning, the planning after.

Poe and Finn had to discuss what the galaxy had to deal with next, they were the people in charge after all and everybody looked up at them. 

Elections. That’s what they came out with, and people loved that. So they planned and discussed and made a lot of decisions they probably weren’t qualified to make.

Rey left with BB-8 after she promised to bring him back soon safe and sound, then the night came and here he was.

General Poe Dameron, pilot, then commander, then captain and finally in charge of the Resistance, the one who lead them to victory, that’s what they said.

Well, one of the two who did, at least.

And now he was alone.

He was laying on the top of the tallest ship in the camp, eyes fixed to the stars upon him.

That day a woman asked him

_How does it feel to be the most important person in the galaxy?_

He didn’t feel like he was the most important person of the galaxy at all. Yes, he was in charge at the moment, but it was all going to end soon. Elections would be settled in not more than a week and then everything will be over for him.

Besides, the galaxy wasn’t his, or Finn's – even if he had to admit the man was way better than him at this – , it wasn’t going to be the senate’s, just as it never was Snoke's.

The galaxy was owned by the people who lived in it. Every one of them. And he was looking at it, the stars looking back down, and he felt grateful for a moment.

Almost.

More than everything he felt alone.

Leia died that morning and he didn’t even have enough time to mourn her properly.

Snap died. A lot of his friends, his family died that day. 

BB-8 wasn’t with him for the night and even if it was supposed to be a happy day, the happiest day of his life, he couldn’t sleep.

For all his life he lived for one purpose and one purpose only. Now his plan was fulfilled and he had nothing left.

His only purpose left. His droid left. Leia left. Rey left. Snap left. Even Maz left to go back to her planet and he had Finn, sure, and Finn was enough, of course he was, more than enough actually, but he couldn’t be totally honest with Finn for obvious reasons so he hardly counted – if not, he kinda made things worse.

And every time he closed his eyes he saw his friends dying in front of him – _because_ of him, he was in charge so it was his fault just like last time – he heard their screams on the radio and why the Force did he even agree to let BB leave with Rey that afternoon.

He heard some muffled sounds behind him and he tensed, his hand going immediately to his blaster like every trained soldier should react when caught off guard.

“Easy, bud. It’s just me” a familiar voice reached his ear and he sighed in relief, laying back down on the metal platform beneath them.

“Couldn’t sleep, general?” Poe asked bitterly, gaze back on the stars.

“Well, you too, general” Finn replied, a little amused, laying down next to him making their shoulders brush. 

Poe’s heart grew two sizes bigger but he bit his lower lip not to show it.

“Pathetic, isn’t it? We should be the ones they look up to and we can’t even manage to bring ourselves to sleep” he said instead, trying to ignore the way his breath fastened and his heart rate suddenly sped up. 

He hated it.

He loved it more.

“I don’t think it is. Pathetic, I mean. Why couldn’t you sleep?” Finn asked, kind as he always was.

“I kept hearing Snap yelling his last words in my head. I kept seeing his ship blow up. It sucks” he whispered, refusing to look down at his friend. The stars looked far more appealing now that he was embarrassing himself.

“I’ve seen friends die before. Obviously I did. And every time it was awful. But this time… it hit me more. Probably because it was kinda my fault”

 _Like that other time,_ he thought bitterly, _it's just as awful as that one you never think about_

“What do you mean? It wasn’t your fault” Finn said slightly confused, but determined nonetheless.

“Except that it was. We should have sent Lando first, we should have waited for him to come back with the others. We should have gone to Exogol when we were already all together. He would have been alive if we did”

“We didn’t know they were going to come. We couldn’t wait, you know that”

“Yeah but we should have, shouldn’t we?” 

“So you think it’s my fault all those people died” Finn stated sharply, and Poe flinched.

“Wa- I- I didn’t mean that”

“But you said it”

“I’m sorry. It’s been a tough day”

“Yeah, no shit” 

Silence fell upon them for a moment, enveloping them like a blanket. 

It wasn’t their usual comfortable silence, when during long flights they chilled and bathed only in the presence of one another, when they exchanged glances and smiles and there was nothing needed to say because they were just happy to be together like that.

It wasn’t a tense silence either, like sometimes after they fought they tried to avoid eachother until one of them was too tired, or too scared, or too lost and went to the other for comfort and they held eachother hands like nothing happened.

It was just _silence_.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Poe decided to ask, not only to break the silence but because he was genuinely curious.

He heard a faint sound and caught a small movement with the corner of his eye. Finn was shrugging.

“She left. She didn’t say where she went. What if she doesn’t come back?”

 _Of fucking course,_ Poe thought, and sighed so sharply he was afraid air could cut his lungs.

“What did you want to tell her yesterday?” he asked, even if he didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to be sure of what he already suspected.

Finn immediately sat up and looked at him with a frown. Poe found way harder to keep his eyes locked to the sky now.

“Really Poe? Again? Now? Why do you care so damn much?”

“Why does annoy you that I do?”

Finn groaned and fell with his back down again. “Do you really want to know why the fact you keep asking the same question over and over annoys me so much?”

“Yes, I really fucking do buddy, because it sounds like a pretty fair question to me, since I’m your best-”

“Don’t you even try to _best friend_ me Poe Dameron, don’t you dare! You know what? I’ll tell you!” he said, rising his voice dangerously.

“Well, I’m listening”

“You know everything about me. Every single thing. Because I didn’t have anything before I met you. You brought me with you out of that ship when you didn’t know me, you pushed me to join the Resistance even when I thought you were dead. The only time I’ve had a secret since I existed I told my and Rose’s plan to you immediately and…”

“Oh yeah, I ammutinated for you when you did so you’re welcome”

“ _I_ _know_!” he said, almost yelling now. Poe hoped he didn’t wake anyone. “I know and I’m grateful for that but the point is I _told_ you. You know everything about me, you’re the reason I am what I am now, how could you not? You were even the one who nominated me general today!”

“Is it supposed to be a bad thing? Because you could have just said no”

“I didn’t want to say no. I was flattered” he said, lower this time. “But I know nothing about you. You are basically responsible of my life and you don’t even trust me enough to share yours with me! I didn’t even know you were a spice runner! Were you even going to tell me one day? And when I have to keep something from you, just one single thing, you get fucking mad? Really? You do this to me all the time! Sometimes I feel like I don’t know you at all. You have no right to be pissed if I want to keep this from you”

“I’m not responsible of your life, you are. It was you who saved me back then if I remember correctly”

“That’s not the po-”

“I’m not finished. It’s not true that I don’t trust you either, Finn. I trust you with my life I’m sure you could tell by now, you’re not that dumb. I trusted you the first time I saw you, that’s why I immediately agreed to your plan on that ship even if I knew it could be a trap. I trusted you and Rose last year and I never regretted it even if it didn’t end well”

“It didn’t end well? Ha, more like it was a complete disaster. And I know that choice still haunts you. I’m sorry, maybe I was a bit to-”

“Shush. I’m not finished yet” 

“You talk way too much Poe, did I ever tell you that?”

“Just once or twice” he smiled, for the first time since he finished crying for relief that evening. “I trust you so much I wanted you and only you in charge with me today. It’s not a matter of trust”

“And what is it, then?” Finn asked, softly.

“I was ashamed. Of myself” 

“You were what? You know I was a stormtrooper, right? That’s just a little bit worse than a smuggler”

“It’s different. You were kidnapped, conditioned at a very young age. I had everything and threw it away” he said, and he closed his eyes. His mother’s face smiled at him from one of his memories.

“I told you I was basically raised in the Resistance, it wasn’t a lie” he sighed, trying to gain the courage to let it all out. “The first years of my life I lived with my grandfather because my parents were off the planet fighting during the first war. After they won we settled on Yavin four and as I grew up they fed me with stories and tales from their time in the Resistance. Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, they were all myths to me, great and wonderful and bright. I joined the Navy of the New Republic as soon as I was of age and I was good at it. When the First Order started to infiltrate all around the galaxy I warned them, I was a captain and foolish enough to think they would have listened but they didn’t. They said I was being paranoid. Then it turned out I was right, the New Republic fell and Leia recruited me. I knew I had to join the Resistance the very first day it was founded, so I did. Leia let me keep all my grades and at first I thought it was perfect. I was going to be just like my parents, and with Leia and Han and Luke and all of them with me what could have gone wrong?”

He paused for a moment, opening his eyes again. They were starting to itch but he ignored it. Finn stayed silent.

“But it didn’t go as planned. I was in charge of a small squadron but not as big as I thought I could handle so I wasn’t satisfied with myself. Leia was the only one of the old guard that cared and she was harsh with me. Han wasn’t to be seen, everybody thought Luke wasn’t even alive and Lando said he was too old for that shit. Life at the Headquarters was much worse compared to when I was working for the Navy, I couldn’t do whatever I wanted anymore, and nothing was as I expected it to be. I was young, and stupid. So, one day, I sneaked out and left. I went to Kijimi not because I cared about the planet but because I knew nobody was going to ask me questions down there. I met Zorii and the others. They immediately understood I was good at it. People liked me, I sold a lot more spice than all of them combined, faster too, and I was good at stealing, I was trained to be silent and discreet. And I was a good fighter, too. The day after I left the Resistance there was a mission scheduled and my squadron had to go without me. They never came back. Every one of them, they all died. And while they fought, and died, them and a lot of other people after them, fighting and dying without me, I was getting drunk on a junk planet selling shit to young people like me who wanted to waste their lives like I did”

His voice was shaky now, but he knew he had to finish this. “When I heard there was someone of the Resistance on the planet one year later I already had reached the breaking point. I missed my days back in the army, I was born for that, and I hated to be a spice runner, it didn’t help people, it hurted them instead. I didn’t come back sooner because I thought they would have rejected me and because I felt guilty. People died because of me and my childishness. But as soon as I heard there was someone around who could bring me back… I looked for him. And I found him of course. It was Snap. He brought me back and Leia accepted me, but I had to give up my titles and start again from the lowest rank. I accepted of course, and I never thought about flying away again even once. I worked hard, I never complained. Leia had to promote me even if she didn’t like me, and I became commander, then captain again. That’s when I met you. You know the rest. I thought I never gained her trust back. Not after the mutiny. After all that I’ve done”

“But you did. She nominated you before she died. She chose you”

“Yes. She did” he said in a whisper, then he cleared his throat. “Well, that’s why I never told you about when I was a spice smuggler. Because it’s something I don’t like to think about. Because it makes me feel wrong. I know you did horrible things bud, I get it. But it’s different. They forced you to do it. I did it because I wanted to. I left because I was spoiled and I didn't come back because I was a coward. That's it. Happy now?”

Poe felt something shifting closer to him and suddenly one hand was holding his own. He forced himself not to squeeze it hard.

“No, I'm not. I'm sorry. I didn’t want to make you say those things” 

Poe shrugged, trying to fight back tears. He had cried too much that day, both during and after the fight.

“I don’t think you should be ashamed”

“It was horrible, Finn. It... I...”

“Maybe it was. But it was just one year of your life. You came back, you learned. You helped a lot of people in your life Poe, you can’t let one year define what you are”

“People died. Because of my actions”

“Maybe they would have died anyway. We will never know. Maybe you would have died with them too. Maybe it was the Force who lead you to Kijimi, because you didn’t have to die that day”

Poe sighed heavily, but started caressing Finn's hand with his thumb almost mindlessly anyway. “Please don’t start with the Force bud, I’m so not in the mood”

“You know, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you” Finn whispered, and for the first time since his friend joined him Poe looked directly at him.

“What? What didn’t you want to tell me?”

Finn rolled his eyes up. “Trust me, you don’t want to know”

“Please…” he said, and he saw the frustration in the other’s eyes falter. Finn sighed.

“I think I can sense the Force. I can feel it. I knew when Rey died today, I was sure of it. And she confirmed this to us, remember? And when I first met you, on that ship, I knew it had to be you! It was like an instinct, it lead me to that door and I knew I had to do something. The force brought us together. I know this. But you always make fun of me when I talk about the Force so I wanted her to know, I wanted someone to know before I died. That’s all” 

Poe was blinking so fast that Finn was now a blurry figure in front of him. “That’s it? That’s what you had to tell her? That you can feel the Force?”

“Yeah, I know, _ha ha ha_. How dumb. Stars, I don’t even know why I told you in the first place” he muttered and tried to let go of his hand and stand up, but Poe squeezed it, keeping him grounded.

“I’m not joking, bud. This is everything you wanted to tell her?”

Now it was Finn who was refusing to look back at him. “Yeah. That’s it. What did you think it was all about?”

“I’m going to ask you a question now. And I want you to look at me”

“This is ridiculous. I won’t do it”

“Yeah, you will. Last question of the night, I swear. Then I’ll go back to my tent and still be awake but far away from you this time so you’ll be able to rest”

The man reluctantly let his gaze linger back on him. Their eyes met. “What is it?”

“Do you love her? Rey?”

His eyes widened. “Do I what now?”

“Just tell me. Do you love her, Finn?”

“I… of course I do! She’s my friend!”

“Don’t play dumb, you know what I mean”

Finn groaned loudly and muttered something that sounded like _I can’t believe it_ but he answered anyway.

“I don’t love her that way. You already asked me a few months ago so I don’t get all this, really. Are you satisfied now? What even does it make you think that?”

“Are you kidding me? What does _not_ make me think that? Every time she leaves you fuss”

“Every time you leave I fuss, too. You just don’t know it because you’re not around”

Poe suddenly tensed. He knew it didn’t mean anything, that even if it was true he did it with Rey as well, but he couldn’t but feel hope warming him.

“That’s… that’s not true! You don’t” he stuttered.

“Of course it’s true, ask Rey. At least she doesn’t get mad at me like you when I do, only slightly annoyed”

“What about yesterday then? When she was wandering on the Death Star and you left me to go to her! And she didn’t even aknowledge your presence, I had to pick you up!”

Finn widened his eyes, outraged. “I didn’t leave you! You were safe and she was in danger, that’s why I went after her and I didn’t stay with you. I would have done the same for you too, you can’t just not know this at this point!”

“I don’t know. It just looks like… when you look at her you’re just so lovestruck” he said, trying not to sound utterly disgusted.

“You’re talking nonsense. Rey is a friend of mine and I love her but I wouldn’t do for her something I wouldn’t do for you too”

The words seemed to affect Poe who layed motionless right next to him, incapable to look away, but he didn’t say anything so Finn kept talking.

“Listen, I know I can be clingy. I know I ask you to hold hands all the time and you probably don’t like that. I know that I can get nervous when Rey is not around, or you for that matter. It’s just that I didn’t care about anyone before you. And no one cared about me. Yes, there’s some people now, there’s Rose, and Maz, and Jannah perhaps... but it’s not the same as with you. I know you have a lot of friends and got a lot of love so to you this is probably something like any other friendship you had. I understand. But it doesn’t work like that for me. I love you”

Poe closed his eyes and sighed. He squeezed Finn's hand like his life depended on it. He had to tell him. It was now or never. He finally knew what Finn was trying to tell Rey and it wasn't what he feared so there was no reason to back up now.

“It's not… you’re not… I like when you hold my hand” he finally said, opening his eyes again. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have, because all he managed to think about at the moment was how Finn looked perfect up there, his skin shining under the starlight, his eyes sparkling with a fire they always possessed and now enraged more than ever.

“You’re not like any other friend to me, either. You're more than that” he said frowning in embarrassment, his cheeks already warming up.

His friend looked at him with a mix of emotions on his face. Doubt. Embarrassment. Curiosity. And was that hope?

 _Impossible. I must be self projecting_. He thought, shaking his head.

Finn bit the insides of his cheeks hard to let the pain ground him, because Poe was looking at him like he never saw him before and it was the most endearing sight he ever left his gaze upon.

“Are you, hum, trying to tell me something?” he asked awkwardly, but he couldn’t look away, not this time.

“If I was, would that be a problem?” Poe whispered, shifting impossibly closer.

Finn shook his head, speechless.

 _I didn’t read this wrong, right? Force, I hope I didn’t read this wrong_ , he thought, and his breath stopped for a moment.

“I asked you to be in charge with me because I need you by my side always. I want you by my side”

“Well, here I am” Finn said, needing all his strength to come up with the words. 

The moment later Poe was kissing him.  
It was the second time something like that happened to him, and it was so different from the first one.

Sure he had cared about Rose, she was fantastic, but what was only a brush on the lips that happened in a rush of adrenaline couldn’t compare to _this_.

They both closed their eyes at the same time. Poe let go of Finn’s hand and cupped his neck instead, his injured arm still tightly tied to his chest.

He felt Finn sigh, warm air against his skin, and he let out a muffled groan, deepening the kiss.

The man tensed under his touch to relax immediately after. 

Poe kissed him like he never kissed anyone.

He heard a faint sound coming from Finn's throat and he thightened the hold on the back of his neck. He thought about when Rose told him he was still on the Star Destroyer that was blowing up during the battle, fear and worry turning his inside upside down, and he kissed him more eagerly.

He thought about when they were both going to be shot on Ren’s ship just a few days prior and to push the thought away he bit his lower lip lightly, bathing in the moan he gained from him.

Finn, on the other hand, was feeling slightly overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed good, of course, but still overwhelmed that was. It was like his brain had just stopped working. Everything he did was feeling.

He felt hot. So very. In so many places, starting from his cheeks to end, well, somewhere else. 

He felt numb. Pleasently dumb, like he couldn’t form a thought straight but there wasn’t the need to.

He felt urgency. To touch, and kiss, and sigh and follow whatever his instinct told him to do right now.

He felt Poe. Everywhere, in every way. He tasted him, smelled him, felt his hand on his skin and his tongue in his mouth and it was killing him. When the man deepened the kiss Finn melted into it incapable to do anything else.

He didn’t want it to stop.

But it did.

“Wow. Okay” Poe whispered, smirking, as soon as they parted. They already both missed the other and they didn’t even know it.

“Yeah. Wow”

“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have”

“Yeah, totally” Finn said, and for a moment Poe’s heart stopped. Then he saw a tiny smile cracking on the other's lips. “You shouldn’t have stopped” 

Relief. “You’re an asshole, you know this right?”

“Yeah. But you love me”

“I so fucking do, bud”

Finn barked out a brief laugh. “Please, don’t _bud_ me. Not now”

Poe smiled, a bit embarrassed a bit shocked still. “Bad call, you’re right. Sorry. How should I call you?”

“I think _general_ will do just fine” Finn replied smugly.

“Oh, general will do just fine, won’t it? You little shit”

“Respect your superiors, Dameron”

“You’re not my superior, I’m the same grade as you. And it was me who hired you, if I’m not mistaken”

“I think I remember something like that” Finn said smirking.

“You do huh?”

“I so have to tell Rey about this! She’ll slap me for sure. Maybe we should keep this from her, now that I think it further”

“Why would she do such things?”

Finn rolled his eyes and felt a new wave of embarrassment filling him. “I may or may not have complained a few or a thousand times to her about how you wouldn’t even look at me in the eyes if I told you what I felt. And she may or may not have told me a few or a thousand times that you were mad over heels with me too”

“Well, she may or may not have been right all along” Poe laughed. “You know general, to be the one I knew everything about, it turns out I didn’t know a lot of things about you after all”

“Well, general, I think we have a lot of time to fix that, don’t we?”

“All the time we want” Poe whispered, laying contentedly on his back again and looking at the stars one last time. “We’ll rock this. The Republic will work. People want it. They want democracy, they want to be free. We can do this. Together. That’s how we get things sorted. Together”

“Together we’ll nail this” Finn agreed confidently, and he wasn’t looking at him but Poe could hear the smile on his lips while he talked. “Hands?” 

“Hands” Poe answered, and took one of Finn's hands in his own.

He kept looking at the stars and the stars looked back at him.

_How does it feel to be the most important person in the galaxy?_

A woman had asked him a few hours prior. He didn’t feel like he was, back then.

Now he did.

He felt like the whole galaxy was theirs. And he wanted to tell the woman the truth.

 _So fucking good._  


**Author's Note:**

> I didn't read the Poe Dameron comics so I'm sorry if this doesn't quite fit with it but Jar Jar Abrams already messed with canon and he's getting paid so I'm feeling almost okay with it myself.
> 
> Thanks for reading ✨


End file.
